Post #2790879
2023-05-10 15:15 UTC
(Never doubt the impact that a gesture like that may have on a precocious and motivated student, especially one who may not see themself represented in the field.)
Replies (1)
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@mcnees@mastodon.social 2023-05-10 15:18
Cambridge wasn’t awarding degrees to women yet, so in 1923 Cecilia moved to the US. Harlow Shapley, director of the Harvard College Observatory, offered her a graduate fellowship. Shapley believed that the Milky Way was the whole universe. In 1924 he received a letter from Edwin Hubble showing that the Andromeda nebula was a separate galaxy. Payne was in Shapley’s office at the time, and he said to her "Here is the letter that has destroyed my universe." More here: https://mastodon.social/@mcnees/109614690601381175